National capital should embody glory of today’s India, says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Delhi being the national capital of the country should reflect the grandeur of 21st-century India and the government is making efforts to modernize the city’s old infrastructure. The prime minister said work is going on to develop the tourist attractions in the national capital.

He was speaking after inaugurating the first-ever driverless Metro operations and launching the expansion of the National Common Mobility Card to the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro via video conference. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the virtual event. “Delhi is the capital of a big economic and strategic power of more than 130 crore people. Its grandeur should be evident here,” PM Modi said.

He said the government has incentivised electric mobility by giving tax rebates in Delhi, adding that the city’s old infrastructure is also being transformed with the help of modern technology. “This thinking is reflected in provision of better living conditions to slum dwellers through regularisation of hundreds of colonies and in turning old government building into environment friendly modern structures,” Modi said.

The prime minister stressed that since Delhi is an old tourist destination, work is going on to develop 21st century attractions in the city. As Delhi is becoming a favoured destination of international conferences, international exhibitions and international business tourism, the country’s largest centre is being constructed in Dwarka area of the capital, Modi said.

“Similarly, work for the new Parliament building has commenced along with a very big Bharat Vandana Park. This will not only give employment to thousands of people from Delhi but will also change the face of the city,” he added. The driverless trains, which started operating in Delhi on Monday, will be fully automated which will eliminate the possibility of human error, the government has said, adding that after the start of driverless services on the Magenta Line (Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden), the Pink Line (Majlis Park-Shiv Vihar) of Delhi Metro is expected to have driverless operations by mid-2021.

The Prime Minister’s Office has said these innovations will herald a new era of travelling comfort and enhanced mobility. The National Common Mobility Card, which will be fully operationalised on the Airport Express Line, will enable anyone carrying a RuPay-Debit Card issued from any part of the country to use it for travelling on the route.